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World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information
Deep Insights

Charlotte Lindsey Curtet (ed.)

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC) (2026), 372 pp.

"The World Disasters Report 2026 calls on governments, humanitarian actors, media, technology companies and communities, to recognise that the trustworthiness of information is a matter of life and death. Just as we plan for logistics, shelter and health care in emergencies, we must also plan for th ... e information environment. This requires investing in community engagement, prioritizing listening over speaking, building resilience against harmful narratives and consistently upholding humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence in every interaction and message. In 2024, 32 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff were killed while on duty; in 2025, a further 27 lives were lost. This is a painful reminder of the risks borne by those who put humanity first, often in the most dangerous circumstances. Their deaths underscore the urgent need to protect humanitarian staff and volunteers, and to safeguard the space they need to save lives. Anything that deepens mistrust, fuels hostility or turns the emblem of protection into a target must be confronted with urgency. Honouring their memory compels us to meet this crisis with urgency and resolve. Hope must also be part of our response. Harmful information thrives on fear and confusion, but hope – rooted in trust, solidarity and human dignity – can be just as contagious. Balancing threats with hope and fostering narratives of agency and possibility offers a vital counterforce. Around the world, communities respond to crises not only with resilience but also with creativity and compassion, often leading the way in finding solutions. By amplifying authentic stories and voices, we do more than counter falsehoods: we inspire action, strengthen trust and remind people that even in the darkest moments, there are paths forward. The IFRC and its member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have always worked at the heart of communities, earning trust through presence, transparency and respect. In today’s information crisis, this role matters more than ever. Our commitment is clear and unwavering: act with humanity and based on evidence, uphold trust and put people in need first – so that in moments of fear and uncertainty, the voices that carry furthest are those that heal, aid and protect. Each of us has a role to play. By staying informed, questioning, verifying and amplifying only what is trustworthy and constructive, we strengthen the information environment and ensure that hope speaks louder than harm." (Foreword) more

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Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South: Structural Drivers, Governance, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking

Meli M. Ncube, Herman Wasserman, Ruhiya Kristine Seward (eds.)

Stellenbosch: Center for Information Integrity in Africa (CINIA) (2026), 123 pp.

"This book illustrates the reality that information disorder is not solely a problem of untrue news or toxic speech; it is structural, entwined intrinsically with politics, economics, technology, and culture. The same pattern-including a weak media system with consolidated ownership, fragile regulat ... ion, and global platforms orientated toward engagement rather than truth-stands out from Africa through to Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. These conditions create societies that are ripe for misinformation and disinformation. Solutions, therefore, must reach beyond technical fixes and get to the deeper structures that dictate how information flows. WHY THE PROBLEM IS STRUCTURAL. The information disorder framework of Wardle and Derakhshan (2017) helps us to understand the various ways harmful content can manifest. However, intent is difficult to prove, and harm usually depends on context. In the Global South, information disorder proliferates in conditions where media operate on shoestring budgets, governments systematically limit access to information, and platforms capture advertising markets. These structural weaknesses set up an environment in which false content can spread easily and trust declines. MEDIA CONCENTRATION AND PLATFORM DOMINANCE. Latin America provides an example of how the old patterns of media concentration are merged with new digital disruptions. The old oligopolies of traditional media still dominate, but now platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook oversee the traffic and revenue that flow to them. Algorithms reward sensational content, while programmatic advertising siphons money away from independent journalism. This is what is currently called ‘digital colonialism’ in Africa: foreign platforms set the rules while local languages and contexts are ignored. Infrastructure projects expand connectivity but deepen dependency when ownership remains offshore. REGULATION: BALANCING INTEGRITY AND RIGHTS. Meanwhile, governments have introduced laws against so-called ‘fake news’, but many are based on vaguely worded provisions that have been used to silence critics. Inconsistency and bias towards Global North languages in platform self-regulation persist. Co-regulation, where responsibility is shared by states and companies under independent oversight, is preferable, but Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South requires robust institutions and civil society participation. Transparency of algorithms, data portability, and competition measures will be necessary to check the power of platforms. JOURNALISM UNDER PRESSURE. The collapse of the old revenue models and the capture of advertising by platforms have done much to make journalism economically fragile. But this is more than a business problem; it is, importantly, a democratic one. When newsrooms are starved of resources, quality suffers and trust erodes. Hybrid funding models-subscriptions, donations, and philanthropy-help, but these have their limits. Journalism should be considered akin to public infrastructure and supported as such by fair taxation levied on digital platforms, alongside policies to ensure media diversity. FACT CHECKING, MEDIA LITERACY. Fact-checking is indispensable, but it cannot be the sole panacea. It is fraught with political risks, underfunding problems, and maintaining pace with AI-generated output. Programs on media and information literacy show promise, particularly for children, but their effects quickly fade without reinforcement. The Sri Lanka case study further established that practical skills, such as keeping passwords safe, are retained, while habits for verification involving more complexity slowly deteriorate over time. Media and information literacy must be embedded within school curricula and championed through parenting; it must be placed in a local context. SIX PRIORITIES FOR ACTION. To construct resilient information ecosystems, what is required is effort at six points: 1. Support independent journalism with sustainable funding and fair regulation. 2. Incentivize platforms, not just their content, to reduce the spread of harmful material. 3. Localize moderation and infrastructure to counter digital colonialism. 4. Integrate MIL into education and assess long-term impacts. 5. Strengthen networks of fact-checking and connect them with literacy programs. 6. Encourage epistemic diversity through promoting local languages and knowledge systems." (Conclusion, pages 121-122) more

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How civil society coalition-building affects information integrity during elections: evidence from four African countries

Dani Madrid-Morales, Herman Wasserman, Nicola Davies-Laubscher, Fatoumata Sow

Information, Communication & Society (2026), 18 pp.

"This article examines how civil society actors promote information integrity during elections through coalition-building, drawing on evidence from four African countries (the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa) that held elections between 2022 and 2024. In these countrie ... more

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Disinformation in Georgia

Koba Turmanidze (ed.)

Caucasus Analytical Digest, issue 145 (2026), 24 pp.

"One highly at-risk cluster is defined by socio-economic and geographic disadvantages. Vulnerability is greater among women, rural residents, and those with lower education and income, according to Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani. The authors further highlight that women living in rural areas with lower ... levels of education and income are collectively most at risk, as assessed by their ability to recognize information correctly. Similarly, Atchaidze and Fabos found that individuals living in rural settlements and those with lower reported income were most likely to receive low scores on the media literacy index, often inaccurately identifying answers as true or false, particularly on themes related to EU integration. A critical finding regarding vulnerability relates to ethnic minorities. The study by Atchaidze and Fabos demonstrated a clear media literacy divide, reporting that ethnic Azerbaijanis and ethnic Armenians scored far lower on the media literacy index compared to ethnic Georgians. These groups’ struggle to accurately assess politically relevant information makes them prime targets for false narratives. Political and ideological factors are also strong predictors of susceptibility. Crucially, politically unaffiliated individuals (nonpartisans or those declining to disclose party affiliation) are the most vulnerable group, reporting the lowest rates of fact-checking and the lowest accuracy in evaluating information, as demonstrated by Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani. Conversely, Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani note that partisan attachment, particularly among opposition supporters, can foster heightened vigilance, leading to greater skepticism and accuracy. Furthermore, subscription to conspiratorial beliefs significantly increases susceptibility to manipulation. Bandzeladze and Chkhetiani found that belief in narratives, such as the state-sponsored “Global War Party,” substantially undermines the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. The analysis by Chkhetiani delves deeper into the profile of believers in this specific state-driven narrative, noting that men, older citizens (aged 55 and older), the unemployed or self-employed, pro-government TV consumers, and especially supporters of the Georgian Dream party are consistently more receptive to these conspiratorial narratives. This belief system is potent because the state-sponsored Global War Party theory channels diffuse suspicion into a coherent, anti-Western geopolitical attitude. The work of Kobaladze and Gagunashvili explains the mechanism by which such narratives are strategically constructed and disseminated through a “pre-suasion” strategy—framing the West as an enemy and discrediting civil society organizations months in advance—thereby preparing these vulnerable segments of the public to accept controversial legislation, such as the Law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence. These intersecting vulnerabilities—where low objective media literacy meets political disengagement and the acceptance of state-sponsored conspiracy theories—create a fertile environment for manipulation. This collective insight underscores the critical gap between public awareness of disinformation as a threat and the actual media literacy skills necessary to resist it effectively." (Page 2) more

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Sudan Digital Investigation Hub: A practical investigation toolkit designed for Sudanese journalists and civil society actors working in high-risk digital environments

London: Thomson Foundation (2026)

"The Sudan Digital Investigation Hub was created in response to the growing risks posed by information manipulation, online incitement, and the rapid spread of unverified content in conflict settings. Journalists and civil society actors are increasingly required to navigate complex digital environm ... more

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Threats, Disinformation, and Regulations in the European Digital Environment

Katerina Turková, Veronika Macková (eds.)

New York: Bloomsbury Academic (2026), xii, 252 pp.

"In this edited volume, contributors explore the various threats-both security- and (dis)information-related-that are present within the European digital environment, along with the subsequent regulations imposed across the region in response to these threats. Due to the fluctuating evolution of EU- ... more

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Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis
Deep Insights

Lisa Ginsborg, Paula Gori (eds.)

Cham: Springer (2026), xvi, 654 pp.

"This volume provides a multidisciplinary analysis of disinformation and strategies for tackling it. Authored by a diverse group of scholars and experts, chapters in this volume are divided into three thematic sections. The first section delves into disinformation from various disciplinary perspecti ... more

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Information Manipulation in Sudan: A Baseline Assessment of Actors, Narratives and Tactics

Aida Al-Kaisy, Amal Hamdan

Thomson Foundation (2026), 81 pp.

"The destruction of Sudan’s established information infrastructure at the outset of the conflict in April 2023 has created an environment where systematic information manipulation and disinformation campaigns now flourish unchecked. This has intersected with increasing systematic information manip ... more

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Disinformation Campaigns in Africa: Actors, Consequences, and Responses

Admire Mare, Allen Munoriyarwa

New York: Bloomsbury Publishing (2026), 262 pp.

"Centering disinformation campaigns in Africa, this book examines typologies of false and misleading information and assesses the devastating consequences of disinformation. Admire Mare and Allen Munoriyarwa cover the key actors, consequences of, and responses to combat disinformation campaigns th ... more

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Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on New Media, AI and Data Governance
Deep Insights

Robin Mansell, Flavia Durach, Matthias C Kettemann, Théophile Lenoir, Rob Procter, Gyan Tripathi, Emily Tucker

Paris: International Observatory on Information and Democracy (2025), xxxvi, 265 pp.

"This report is an invitation to grapple with the complex interplay between infrastructure, media systems, civil society, and public sector institutions. Our findings suggest that effective policy solutions must: acknowledge the historical, political, economic, and social forces that shape informati ... more

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Terms of (dis)service: Comparing misinformation policies in text-generative AI chatbot

Maria Giovanna Sessa

Eu DisinfoLab (2025), 8 pp.

"● In the 11 chatbots considered, references to misinformation vary (and sometimes are missing). Even when the term is mentioned, it is rarely defined. This is not uncommon: what some platforms call ‘deletion’, others call ‘termination’, though potential nuances remain unclear. Additionall ... y, it is unspecified who enforces practices, how long suspensions last, and what distinguished warnings, suspensions, and terminations. On another note, more stringent prohibitions generally focus on hate speech, highlighting the illegal nature of the issue. ● Overall, ToS violation detection and content moderation processes are unclear. Some platforms mention dedicated moderation teams and processes – typically a mix of automated and human reviews – but the details remain vague. There is no transparency regarding the resources invested in content moderation, including the number of personnel, their locations and language coverage, and the timeline for action. ● Given our focus on misinformation, we concentrated on content reporting. Nevertheless, it is evident that platforms prioritise reporting breaches of and vulnerabilities in their architecture over content-related concerns. ● Law compliance is usually referenced in broad terms as adherence to “all applicable legislation”. Platforms primarily emphasise privacy and data protection, the prohibition of illegal activities (with a particular focus on child protection), restrictions on reverse-engineering platform functions, and using the services for biometric identification. Notably, there is a perception that users bear greater responsibility for providing accurate data and avoiding platform abuse than the platforms themselves do in terms of accountability. This impression arises because the ToS are detailed regarding user obligations but more superficial about platform responsibilities. Uncertainty remains regarding platform incentives and their actual capacity to enforce these rules. ● Most platforms specify that fact-checking is the user’s responsibility as if trying to exempt themselves from liability related to providing false and inaccurate answers. However, it is worth noting that the general provisions of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) require online platforms to remove illegal content expeditiously once they have actual knowledge of its illegality. ● If current platform approaches to misinformation already seem inadequate, there are valid concerns that the situation will deteriorate further. The cross-platform trend of dismantling safety policies and moderation teams reinforces these fears. Examples pointing in this direction include OpenAI’s decision to remove some content warnings on ChatGPT, and xAI’s introduction of “Unhinged Mode” in Grok-2, a beta feature described as intentionally “objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive, much like an amateur stand-up comic who is still learning the craft.” (Concluding remarks, page 8) more

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Empowering Youth to Combat Malicious Deepfakes and Disinformation: An Experiential and Reflective Learning Experience Informed by Personal Construct Theory

Nadia Naffi, Mélodie Charest, Sarah Danis et al.

Journal of Constructivist Psychology, volume 38, issue 1 (2025), 22 pp.

"The potential to weaponize deepfakes is growing at an alarming rate. The study aimed to explore how education can help youth develop resilience to malicious deepfakes and the ability to counter disinformation, regardless of context. Sixteen youth between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in a 9-h, ... more

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Recommendation of the Council on Information Integrity

Paris: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2025), 17 pp.

"The Recommendation on Information Integrity was adopted by the OECD Council on 17 December 2024 on the proposal of the Public Governance Committee (PGC). The Recommendation aims to establish a wide-ranging and applicable policy framework for Adherents to address threats posed by information manipul ... more

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Disarming Disinformation: Brazil
Deep Insights

Julie Posetti, Nabeelah Shabbir, Kaylee Williams (eds.)

International Center for Journalists (ICFJ); University of London, City St George's (2025), 35 pp.

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Disarming disinformation in the media: What works, what doesn't and why

Cambridge: Thomson Foundation (2025), 4 pp.

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Redefining objectivity: Exploring types of evidence by fact-checkers in four European countries

Regina Cazzamatta

European Journal of Communication (2025), 21 pp.

"Fact-checking journalism challenges procedural norms of objectivity by providing truth verdicts. By actively evaluating statements and online rumors based on evidence weight, fact-checkers aim for robust, scientific objectivity. Despite this trend, there is a lack of studies analyzing evidence type ... more

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Trust, personality, and belief as determinants of the organic reach of political disinformation on social media

Tom Buchanan

Social Science Journal, volume 62, issue 3 (2025), pp. 633-644

"False political information spreads far and fast across social media, with negative consequences for society. Individual users play a key role in sharing such material, extending its range through the phenomenon of organic reach. An online experiment tested the hypotheses that higher trust in the s ... more

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Digital occupation: Pro-Russian bot networks target Ukraine’s occupied territories on Telegram

Yuliia Dukach, Iryna Adam, Meredith Furbish

Atlantic Council, July 16 (2025)

"This joint report from OpenMinds and the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) analyzes the activity of a network of 3,634 automated accounts that posted pro-Russian comments on Telegram channels between January 2024 and April 2025 targeting Ukrainian populations inside Russian-occupied territorie ... more

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Destruktive Diskurse: Digitale Verbreitung von klimabezogener Mis- und Desinformation

Hanna Börgmann, Dominik Hammer, Jan Beyer, Jonas Ziock, Fiete Stegers, Philipp Keßling, Felix Münch

Berlin; Hamburg: Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD); Hans-Bredow-Institut (2025), 52 pp.

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Russian information operations outside of the Western information environment

Jonathan Morley-Davies, Jem Thomas, Graham Baines

Riga: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, Rev. version (2025), 184 pp.

"This report, drawing from research, qualitative and quantitative data, Key Insight Interviews (KIIs), digital tools, and Russian information and deception doctrine, explores the Kremlin’s IIOs in non-Western environments using five selected countries as case studies: Egypt, Mali, Kenya, South Afr ... more

World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information Deep Insights

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis Deep Insights

Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on New Media, AI and Data Governance Deep Insights

Disarming Disinformation: Brazil Deep Insights

World Disasters Report 2026: Truth, Trust and Humanitarian Action in the Age of Harmful Information
Deep Insights

Disinformation: A Multi-Disciplinary Analysis
Deep Insights

Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy: A Global Synthesis of the State of Knowledge on New Media, AI and Data Governance
Deep Insights

Disarming Disinformation: Brazil
Deep Insights